Lashkar-e-Khorasan, a relatively unknown terrorist group allied with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has claimed responsibility for killing two intelligence officers who were martyred on Tuesday in Khanewal, journalists have reported.
The two officers, who were part of the counter-terrorism department of the intelligence service, were known for arresting members of the TTP and other militant organisations. They also had a formidable reputation for solving complicated terrorism cases including bombings.
Both officers were shot as they were parking their vehicle outside a roadside restaurant in Pirowal where they reportedly planned to have tea.
Terrorist incidents across the country are on the rise after a ceasefire pact with the government ended in November.
Defense Minister Khwaja Asif had said on Monday that the recent spate of attacks were being staged by Pakistani Taliban hiding in Afghanistan. He asked the Taliban administration in the neighboring country to stop the attacks emanating from their soil.
Defence Minister Khwaja Asif, in a bizarre reference to the increasing population in Pakistan, said that there is no unforeseen increase in population in the countries where markets close at 8PM.
The minister then said, “Your country’s performance is so efficient, despite closing markets at 1AM, they find time to produce more children.”
کاش سیالکوٹ میں بازار جلدی بند ہوا کرتے اور پاکستان خواجہ آصف کی پیدائش کے صدمے سے بچ جاتا۔۔ pic.twitter.com/CtlqLnt2tB
The minister’s comments came while addressing a presser on government’s decision on its energy saving plan, applicable across the country. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that markets in all the province’s and federal areas will be shut down at 8 pm. Furthermore, wedding halls will close at 10 pm across the country.
Asif said that if these timings are implemented then the country will save Rs 62 billion.
As wedding season kicks into high gear, it seems every eligible member of the Pakistani cricket team will get hitched this winters. Girlies, where do our broken hearts go?
After Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf, now Shan Masood is set to get married. According to reports, the cricket player is going to marry Meeshay Khan in Peshawar while their valima ceremony will be held in Karachi.
Other members of the cricket team are expected to attend the wedding.
When news of the upcoming wedding hit social media, the girls had to cry their hearts out.
Actors Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, who starred in the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet, have filed a suit against Paramount Pictures for child abuse and exploitation. Both Hussey and Whiting starred in the film when they were 15 and 16 years old respectively, winning Golden Globes for their performance.
According to the suit filed in Santa Monica last week, the actors said that a bedroom scene in the filmed with both actors in the nude while their breasts and buttocks were visible. They have said that this amounts to child exploitation. The suit followed with the revelation that the film’s director Franco Zeffireli, who died in 2019, had pressurized both actors into performing the scene, warning them that otherwise ‘the film would fail’. The director had promised both his leads that there would be no nude scenes and both actors would be covered by flesh-colored underwear.
“Defendants were dishonest and secretly filmed the nude or partially nude minor children without their knowledge, in violation of the state and federal laws regulating indecency and exploitation of minors for profit,” the suit has alleged.
The statement further revealed how both actors, who are now in their 70’s, suffered mental and emotional anguish in the five and a half decades since the film’s release, and did limited effort to progress their careers.
The actors representative, Solomon Gresen, spoke with AFP about how Paramount Pictures had participated in sexual exploitation of the children, since both actors were under 16 years old and their nude scenes were visible in the film.
“(Paramount) have images that they know are images of underage nudity that should be removed from the film. That would be the beginning for sure. Sexually explicit images of children are bad and they shouldn’t be tolerated. If they were under 16, then they’re under 16. It’s a sexually explicit image of an underage person, it should be forbidden.”
The Ministry of National Health Services has refuted news reports that said a new subvariant of Covid-19 is spreading in Pakistan.
“NCOC-NIH refutes the news of any new COVID-19 subvariant. Currently, XBB Omicron sub-variant is already the dominant variant for the last 3 months. NCOC is closely monitoring the situation,” the ministry wrote in a tweet. According to the spokesperson of the National Institute of Health (NIH), Pakistan has had a total of 29 cases of XBB (Omicron) since it first appeared, but no cases of BF.7 have been reported as yet.
NCOC-NIH refutes the news of any new COVID-19 subvariant. Currently, XBB Omicron sub-variant is already the dominant variant for the last 3 months. NCOC is closely monitoring the situation.
A review meeting was held on tuesday to review prevalence of the virus in the country under the chairmanship of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif . The Premier commended the efforts put in by all the relevant officials and NCOC to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The meeting was informed in detail about the current situation of Covid in the world including the region and in Pakistan, new variants of the pandemic, measures taken to prevent them and status of vaccinations.
— الخطوط الحديدية السعودية | SAR (@SARSaudiRailway) January 1, 2023
Saudi Railways announced that 31 indigenous women have completed training to drive high-speed trains. The Mecca-Medina Haramain high-speed train is one of the fastest in the world.
Saudi woman, Sara Al Shehri said, “I and my colleagues have been the first to have the honor of running a high-speed train in the Middle East, which I am proud of.”
Noorah Hisham, another Saudi woman who completed the training, says that it is a job of great responsibility. The safety of those who come for Hajj, Umrah, and Ziarat is the responsibility of the Haramain Express driver.
Saudi female train driver Shajin al-Mursi said that it is a matter of great pride to be part of the first group to receive train driving training.
The Saudi Railway Company qualified more than 30 Saudi women as female drivers of the Haramain Express Train, according to Saudi Gazette.
The women train captains have expressed their pride in having this opportunity to become the first female train drivers in the Middle East. They confirmed that transporting pilgrims and visitors gives them motivation to work with great care.
A Microsoft-certified software engineer, who broke multiple records in 2009, has been charged with two murders over a land dispute in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
At the Cantt police station in Qayyumabad, DI Khan, a First Information Report (FIR) was filed on Monday against Bilal Iqabl.
As per SHO Muhammad Saleem the family of the software engineer was involved in a dispute over a residential plot, located in the Qayyumabad area of DI Khan. He further noted that a complaint was filed against him by Muhammad Sajid, whose father was allegedly shot dead working at a construction site.
Babar also shot at other on-site workers, killing two of them, including Muhammad Sajid’s father. He fled the scene of the incident with his mother and sister. According to the details, Babar Iqbal participated in the examination for Certified Wireless Network Administrator (CWNA) and set a world record by obtaining 80 percent marks in it. He is the youngest world record holder in the computer field and has also qualified for the trainers’ program
The federal government’s proposal to close all markets and restaurants by 8:30 pm. as part of a new energy conservation plan has been opposed by traders across the nation, who claim that such measures cannot be used to save energy.
The chief of Markazi Tanzeem-e-Tajran Pakistan (MTTP), Kashif Chaudhry, said that the government had developed the policy without consulting the business community and had failed to adhere to the energy conservation plan.
“It is not possible to save energy by such measures,” Kashif Chaudhry said, warning of “strong resistance” if the government tried to forcefully close the market.
He regretted the fact that the administration opted to enact its “unilateral” action despite loud protests and assurances from the authorities.
In an effort to conserve energy, he urged that the government forbid its employees from using heaters and air conditioners in their workplaces. He said that since we buy the most expensive electricity, advantageous plans should be developed for us.
Meanwhile, the president of the Karachi Electronics Dealers Association, Rizwan Irfan, disclosed that the Sindh government has met with owners of wedding venues and restaurants over the energy-saving strategy.
During the meetings, he claimed, all parties involved agreed that markets and malls should be permitted to stay open until 9 or 10 pm., while eateries and wedding venues should be permitted to stay open until 11 or 12 pm.
“However, despite the Sindh government’s assurance, they imposed a unilateral decision,” Irfan lamented, asking the government to bear their expenses.
Additionally, Ilyas Memon, president of the Saddar Traders Association, claimed that the decision to close markets early amounted to the destruction of enterprises.
“The police and the administration should not harass the businessmen,” he said, adding that the Sindh government should not file an FIR as per the decisions taken in the consultation meeting.
The Legend of Maula Jatt headlined by Fawad Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi and Mahira Khan is by far the most expensive film to come out of Pakistan. It is unquestionably the biggest Pakistani release ever internationally.
The film opened to packed houses on October 13th and earned record-breaking figures on day one despite the fact that it is not currently playing in every theater in the country.
Bilal Lashari’s directorial has become the first film in Pakistan’s history to earn 100 crore domestically. This achievement was announced by the makers on social media handles.
Breakdown
It earned 4.4 crores locally and 4.9 crores internationally on its opening day, making it a total of 9.3 crores.
Four-day Weekend Collections
In its extended weekend, the film collected over 50 crores globally.
According to a recent report in Deadline, this action-fantasy movie has broken box-office records within its opening weekend. So far, The Legend of Maula Jatt has collected over half a million dollars. Across 79 locations in the UK, the film has earned $355,000, making it trend at no. 9 on the charts. In the US and Canada, the film grossed $290,000 and $235,000 respectively. On the other hand, in Australia, it earned $160,000. In both Canada and Australia, the Pakistani movie is trending at No. 6 in the charts, while in the United Arab Emirates, it reached No. 1 after earning over $515,000.
The Legend of Maula Jatt has opened in 25 markets worldwide, including Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, and South East Asia, and overall it has grossed $2.3 million globally.
First Week Collections
The Humaima Malick and Gohar Rasheed starrer has garnered 80 crores, globally in its first week of release.
These figures surpass the lifetime receipts of every Pakistani movie and have set new records. The Legend of Maula Jatt is poised to set additional records now that the second weekend has begun.
Second Weekend
Its second-weekend collections gave a new hope to the industry. The magnum-opus crossed the unprecedented 100 crore mark post its second-weekend collections. This made it the first-ever Pakistani feature film to achieve this target.
200 Crore Club
TLOMJ‘s winning streak continues as the magnum opus becomes Pakistan’s first offering to hit the PKR 200 crore mark, globally.
Producer Ammara Hikmat shared the update on her Instagram handle.
Earlier this month, the official Instagram account of TLOMJ shared that the Bilal Lashari directorial has beaten the Laal Singh Chaddha and South Indian blockbuster RRR’s box office collection in Britain.
The post read, “Another day, another achievement! The Legend of Maula Jatt beats the highest-grossing Indian movie of 2022, RRR’s lifetime business in just 17 days in the UK.” A few days ago, it was reported that Pakistan’s most expensive movie has beaten the lifetime number of Aamir Khan starer Laal Singh Chaddha in the UK, in just 13 days.
According to British film publication Screen Daily, Maula Jatt, released by Moviegoers Entertainment, accumulated £44,149 (Rs11.5 million) on its fifth weekend. Its performance has dropped considerably lower than many competitors as its run continues at 54.6 percent, bringing the film to almost £1.3m (Rs340 million). That’s more than the £1.26m (Rs329 million) of this year’s Tamil epic Ponniyan Selvan: I.
The Legend of Maula Jatt has become the highest-grossing Punjabi film globally according to its official Instagram account, the film made $7.8 million (Rs1.7 billion) at the worldwide box office within four weeks of its release.
The movie’s first teaser was released in 2019, which managed to receive a thunderous response worldwide for its cinematic grandeur, exceptional star cast, and mega-scale production.
Ah, Decemberistan. The month of cold winters, hot cups of coffee, and shuddering in your paper-thin lengha as you attend another qawalli night of the one million wedding events taking over Pakistan.
There is no December without the hilarious shenanagins of wedding season and the amount of ridiculous activities that take place along with it. Twitter was moved to fits of laughter when a video trended last night of a huge, rug made with notes of Rs 100 and 50 denomination. The rug was spread all over the shadi hall.
thinking abt this faisalabadi wedding where the bride had to enter in a cinderella themed golden cage but they forgot that the cage was bigger than the door and it got stuck
funniest shit ever when she had to get off at the door and do the walk of shame till her husben https://t.co/Ekj5LJc32d
Reactivated fb and the first post I see is of a woman saying I’m middle class and want to spend just 12 lacs on a wedding venue and 8 lacs on a photographer like bro?
in every pre-wedding weeks-of-dance-practices there are always a couple of main characters. they are the people everyone watches, their jokes always hit, everyone wants to bask in the glow of their charm
every time I open Instagram I watch 32 stories of weddings and think surely I’ve seen all the weddings on my list now, but no, the next day there are 46 more weddings
Faisalabadis are wired different. Came across this shadi ki movie,the bride and groom entered the hall on something shaped like a moon, a sofa or idk what,but it kept rotating slowly in the middle of the hall for straight 30 minutes guests kept staring and songs kept changing .
My cousin got married to a Faisalabadi guy and she entered while sitting on a moon and her husband revolving around that moon shaped seat or whatever it was funniest shit everrrr